RECIPE: ARROZ CON Pollo y amarillos

Savor the Flavors: Arroz con Pollo y Amarillos
Indulge in the rich and vibrant flavors of Puerto Rican foods with this amazing recipe for Arroz con Pollo y Amarillos. This one pot-wonder combines the savory goodness of sofrito, oven roasted and braised dark meat chicken, and the sweetness of ripe plantains. Although this is a one pot dish, you will need a couple extra kitchen dishes to get this to the finish line. I don’t recommend any shortcuts because every step really works to build the beautiful layers of flavors required to capture the deliciousness of this dish.

Arroz con Pollo y Amarillos (serves 8-10)

ingredients:

• 16 pieces dark meat (I like to do 1/2 chicken thighs and 1/2 chicken drumsticks)

• 1/4 cup olive oil

• 1 lime

• 1 Tb Black Pepper

• 2 Tb Kosher Salt + 1 Tb Kosher Salt, divided

• 1/4 cup Adobo seasoning + 1 Tb, divided

• 1/2 cup Corn Oil + 1 Tb, divided

• 2/3 cup sofrito

• 1 Tb Chicken Bouillon powder

• 2 tsp italian seasoning

• 2-3 Bay leaves

• 2 large very ripe plantains

• 2 c extra long rice, rinsed (Mahatma is my go-to brand)

• 3.5 cups water

• Plantain Leaf**optional

directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

2. In a mixing bowl add chicken pieces and season with 1/4 cup olive oil, juice of 1 Lime, 1/4 cup Adobo seasoning, 2 Tb Kosher Salt, 1 Tb Black Pepper. Mix to ensure chicken pieces are thoroughly covered. Add chicken to a baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes.

3. While Chicken is baking, peel and slice the plantains (longwise). Depending on the size of the plantains you should be able to get 2-3 long slices from each plantain.

4. In a caldero, or dutch oven, over medium-high heat add the 1/2 cup oil. When it is hot, (shimmery but not smokey), add the plantains slices. You may need to work in batches so you don’t overcrowd the pan. Pan fry the plantain slices for about 1 minute on each side. If they start too brown too fast, turn your heat down. You don’t want to cook them over too high of heat or they will lose their sweetness. Place completed plantains on a separate cutting board and give them a good rough chop.

5. If chicken is done remove from the oven and move on to the next step. If not, turn off the heat and wait until chicken is complete.

6. In the same pan where you fried the Plantains, turn the heat to high and when oil is ready add the sofrito, salt, chicken bouillon powder, and 1 Tb Adobo seasoning, and italian seasoning. Stir and saute until the mix becomes fragrant (about 45 seconds). Add white rice to the pot and stir together with the mixture. Only stir a few times (scraping from the bottom), do not over stir or the final product will be gummy. Toast the rice for about 1 minute.

7. Add the water, Bay leaves and give the mixture one good stir, stirring from the bottom of the pan to mix everything together. Do not over stir, or the rice will be gummy.

8. Bring the mixture to a boil and allow the liquid to evaporate to the point where you can start seeing the rice poking out over the top of the liquid. Add the plantain pieces and working from the outside in, push the rice into a mound at the center of the pot and then add the chicken pieces evenly across the rice.

9. Cover with a plantain leaf* and then the lid of the pot. Reduce the heat to low and allow to cook for 25 minutes. After 25 minutes, DO NOT remove the lid. Turn off the heat and allow the rice to steam for another 25 minutes.

Provecho!